British retailer Harvey Nichols has launched a new loyalty app that promises to reward customers by offering one point for every pound spent in the UK – be it in-store or online – and in any UK Harvey Nichols bar or restaurant, including its Oxo Tower restaurant.

Harvey Nichols has taken this step to develop an app over a traditional card to challenge established retail thinking and practice. While research firm Forrester predicts smartphone penetration to reach 90% in the UK in 2015, Harvey Nichols’ own customer research has shown that over 80% of its customers preferred an app to another card.

“To truly reward a customer for their loyalty a brand needs to know their customer inside out and offer a range of relevant and personal rewards, from experiences to gift vouchers and surprises in-between. We want to give our customers more than just pennies for points. Our rewards are uniquely different to competitors’ loyalty schemes, firstly because it’s an app – which we believe is the future of communication with our customers instant, personalised and modern – and secondly it offers customers brilliant and indulgent experiences according to their spend,” shares Shadi Halliwell, group marketing and creative director, Harvey Nichols.